St. Landry democrat., 1887-07-16
A SUBLIME SPECTACLE.


Just now the press of the State is
greatly wrought up over the action of
the chief magistrate of Louisiana in
the matter OF the judicial election in
this District. The details being fami-
liar to all, need not be stated here.
The friends of the administration
have conjured from their resting places,
every argument, every old worn out
aphorism, every obsolete statute known
to the law, in the frantic attempt to
justify the Governor in this act of mo-
numental impudcucc They have re-
sorted to subterfuges, they have welded
the potent shaft Of ridicule and sar-
casm, they have attempted to effect Il
lofty dlsdaln, and in the language OF
one OF their blatant organs, have said
| IN reference to those who Justly com
PLAIN OF their grievances, " Let them
howl What has been the result of
all this The result has been, as might
have been lmagined-a great many OF
the Governors friends throughout the
State, no longer able to condone or ex-
Cuse this arbitrary assumption OF the
rights and privileges of the people by
the Governor, have turned away from
a character SO grasplng and audaclous.
How can men expect free men, who have
any regard for principle and honor to
support an individual for the first posl'
ton in the commonwealth, who having
sworn to protect and defend the constl-
. tuition, makes use of such subterfuges
as the present Executive has, III order
to evade the unmiStaka ole spirit of the
law under the constitution AS we
intimated before, good men all over the
State, have been at a loss to account
for the Governors action, and after
waiting for explanations which might,
! in some degree, mitigate the offence
against the people Of this district have
been compelled to turn away i'll con
tempt.
Now we have the sublime spectacle
of 4; great journal, claiming to repre-
sent the progress and intelligence of
the South, also the official journal of "a
great State, together with numerous
satellites and lesser luminarjes, striv
ing to uphold his Excellency, in posi-
ton which is obviously untenable
Shades of Moses, Scion and Lycurgus.
pardon the puerility of We modern ex-
Founders of the law This stroke of
policy by the Governor was at first re-
garded by his friends and admirers as a
master stroke IN politics, and so it
might have been, but for the press,
which Immediately exposed the pre-
sumption of such action.
Alas for the plans of mice and men.
What was at first, apparently strong
tower of defence,-thanks to the cOura
geOus conduct of the ess,-becOmes
the hidden rock upon which the admi-
nistratiou is likely to be overwhelmed.
. The action which was at first calcula-
ted to increase the strength and nhu-
ence of the Administration party. in
this District, recently assumed a more
threatening attitude, and by it's reac-
tionary influence now jeopardiZes the
existence of that party, for whose es-
pecial benefit it was called forth.
But the most amusing part OF the
programme, is the wonderful activity
which the administration journals ex-
hibit in defending their chief from the
attacks of the reform journals. 1t
strikingly reminds one, of the Feast of
Asses which was celebrated in Burgundy,
during the middle ages, in which the
officiating priest, dressed to represent
an ass, rose and prayed three times,
which was responded to by the au-
dience, braying three times in answer.
Thus, a bold idea is advanced by one
journal in defense of his Eycellency,
which is Immediately caught up, re-
vamped, or reproduced by the entire
fraternity in sort of you bray at me
and-I'lI respond style.
The administration papers now pose
before the people OF Louisiana in the
attitude of one desperately striving TO
cOndODe an offence against the people
which is absolutely objectionable. We
appeal to all upright citizens to show
by their votes and their influence that
they will not permit such acts OF pre-
sumption to go unrebuked.